Buick Velite Plans May Begin with Opel Cascada

While no official plans for the Buick Velite have been released, we hope that the Velite convertible comes to all of us soon!

GM’s European brand Opel makes some pretty nice cars. So nice, in fact, that some of our most popular offerings at Simi Valley Buick GMC come directly from Opel, like the Regal and the Verano (which are directly derived from the Insignia and Astra, respectively).

And we might be getting the best one of all. Ever since Opel launched the Cascada, there have been rumors that Buick would offer a stateside version—now, we think we know what it’ll be called: the Velite.

According to GM Authority, that’s the name GM recently filed to use for a new, yet-unrevealed model. However, that’s not actually the first time the automaker has done so. The name originally came up back at the 2004 New York Auto Show tacked onto a convertible concept. GM opened an application to trademark it in 2011 and has since extended its application five times.

GM can’t do so indefinitely, however. A maximum six extensions are permissible, which means that if GM is still bothering with the name so close to the deadline, we might very well see Buick Velite plans actually come to light. Stay tuned.